The invention relates to the direct electrochemical fluorination of ketones utilizing a porous carbon anode in which the reaction takes place.
Electrochemical fluorination of various organic and even inorganic materials is well known in the art. A wide variety of materials except ketones have been fluorinated by one means or another. Perfluorinated ketones have been produced by such complicated processes as first esterifying a secondary alcohol with an acyl fluoride; thereafter, subjecting the resulting esters to electrochemical fluorination to produce perfluorinated esters; and finally effecting cleavage of the perfluorinated esters to produce perfluorinated ketones.